Five art recommendations per weekend should suffice an art lover’s ambitious life up here in the mountains, but that’s not an option when there is so much to do and see. Take this weekend, for example: art making workshops at the Hudson Opera House in Hudson; the art of book making opening reception at the Bright Hill Literary Center in Treadwell; a tour of the Dia:Beacon’s contemporary art collections in Beacon; a Winslow Homer art symposium at the Arkell Museum in Canajoharie; an auction benefit at the Center for Photography in Woodstock; Bach’s Goldberg Variations at the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter; Mahler’s Fifth Symphony to be performed by the Hudson Valley Philharmonic in Poughkeepsie; and a conversation hosted by author and Bard College professor Neil Gaiman in Annandale-on-Hudson. What an ambitious weekend indeed!
Hudson Opera House
The Hudson Opera House is inaugurating this Saturday a series of art making workshops for families with children as part of its Saturday Salon program. These workshops will be held every Saturday throughout the month of October from 10 am to 12 noon. For more information, go to http://hudsonoperahouse.org/2014/06/13/saturday-salon-the-guided-gallery-saturdays-10-noon/.
Bright Hill Literary Center
Bright Hill Literary Center in Treadwell is opening a new exhibit this Sunday, October 5 at 3 pm: “Erosion: Artist Book Work,” featuring Iowa artist Julie Leonard. “Making use of the book as an artistic medium is possible partly because of what we bring to the book, our collective connection with it. Since its inception we have imbued books and writing with a spiritual or magical aspect that goes beyond its physical or contextual properties. Books can act on us as an icon or reliquary does, evoking a spiritual reaction, a contemplative psychic space. My work is divided between the study of historical book binding structures and the creation of contemporary artist books,” says Julie Leonard, who is an associate professor at The University of Iowa in Iowa City. For more information about Leonard, go to http://book.grad.uiowa.edu/people/julie-leonard. For more information about Bright Hill Literary Center, visit http://www.brighthillpress.org/.
Dia:Beacon
Dia:Beacon Art Foundation offers guided tours of its galleries every Saturday at 1 pm. Located in a former printing plant built in 1929, Dia:Beacon houses collections from the 1960s to the present. For more information about Dia:Beacon, go to http://www.diaart.org.
Fenimore Art Museum
Fenimore Art Museum presents a Winslow Homer symposium at the Arkell Museum in Canajoharie this Saturday, October 4 from 9 am to 5 pm. A series of guest speakers, as well as a panel discussion will address Winslow Homer’s use of color and art technique, and his importance in the American art world. Homer was a 19th century landscape painter known for his seascapes, and portrayal of rural life. In 1859 Homer opened a studio in New York City. During the Civil War he was sent to the battle field, and sketched scenes for Harper’s Weekly. Throughout his adult life, Homer also painted in northern New York, in the Adirondack Mountains. Born in Massachusetts in 1836, he died in Maine in 1910. For more information about the upcoming symposium at the Arkell Museum, go to http://www.fenimoreartmuseum.org/homersymposium.
The Center for Photography
The Center for Photography at Woodstock is hosting its 36th benefit auction this Saturday, October 5 at 12:30 pm at the Diamond Mills Hotel in Saugerties. A preview of submitted art work can be seen here. Our favorite is a black and white photograph of actress Ingrid Bergman, taken in Italy in 1949 – preview here. To purchase tickets for the gala go to http://www.cpw.org/support/benefit-gala/.
Doctorow Center for the Arts
Catskill Mountain Foundation in partnership with the Catskill Jazz Factory will present a piano concert this Saturday, October 4 at 8 pm at the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter. Dan Tepfer, a French-American pianist, will perform Bach’s well-known Goldberg Variations, followed by his own improvisations on Bach. Tepfer performed this program at Le Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village back in September. The New York Times wrote about Tepfer’s performance here. For more information about the upcoming concert in Hunter, visit http://www.catskillmtn.org/events/performances/2014-10-04-dan-tepfer-solo-jazz-piano-820.html. For more information about Tepfer, visit his website at http://www.dantepfer.com.
Hudson Valley Philharmonic
The Hudson Valley Philharmonic will perform Mahler’s Fifth Symphony this Sunday, October 5 at 3 pm at the Bardavon concert hall in Poughkeepsie. There will be a pre-concert talk with conductor Craig Fleischer. For more information about this event, go to http://myemail.constantcontact.com/HVP-Mahler-s-5th-This-Sunday–3pm-at-the-Bardavon-.html?soid=1102056363639&aid=iJAsHXA2G6w.
Bard College
Bard College is presenting an author talk hosted by Neil Gaiman this Friday at 7:30 pm at the Sosnoff Theater at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Annandale-on-Hudson. Neiman will converse with Audrey Niffenegger, a best-selling author and artist. For more information about this event, go to http://fishercenter.bard.edu/calendar/event.php?eid=126895.
These are just a few highlights from what seems to be a busy weekend in the Catskills.
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Art in the Catskills 